System and method for data capture within a predefined area

ABSTRACT

Described is a method for identifying a signature line. A first line having at least a predetermined length is identified. End points of the first line are identified. It is determined whether a second line intersects one of the end points of the first line at an angle within a predetermined range. If no line is determined to intersect one of the end points, a first predetermined area adjacent to each end of the line is scanned for a predetermined character. When the predetermined character is found, the line is determined to be the signature line.

BACKGROUND

A conventional image scanner utilizes a small video/photo camera to capture an image which is then decoded using sophisticated digital image processing techniques to extract data therefrom. Typically, the data is a barcode on, for example, a parcel for shipment. The barcode may be included on a delivery form attached to a receptacle (e.g., a box). The barcode is scanned at an origin (e.g., a manufacturer) and each subsequent location including a destination to track delivery of the parcel. At the destination, the barcode will be scanned to confirm delivery data (e.g., time, date, location, etc.), and, typically, a signature will be obtained from a recipient or a representative thereof. The signature is further evidence of delivery of the parcel.

The conventional scanner is used to capture a digital image of the signature, which along with the delivery data, creates a delivery record. However, to obtain the image of the signature, the scanner must identify specific indicia (e.g., barcodes) surrounding a signature box on the delivery form. After the indicia have been identified, the scanner obtains the digital image of the signature and transmits the image to a host computer. Courier companies which require the delivery data and the signature have had to modify their delivery forms to include the indicia and the signature box. Modification of the delivery forms includes costly activities such as, re-design and re-printing, to replace a substantial amount of inventory of delivery forms which utilize a conventional signature line (e.g., an ‘X’ followed by a signature line). Further, the modified forms may not work as intended, because, for example, some people find it more convenient to use a bottom outline of the signature box as a baseline of their signature. Consequently, a portion of the signature remains outside of the signature box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for identifying a signature line. A first line having at least a predetermined length is identified. End points of the first line are identified. It is determined whether a second line intersects one of the end points of the first line at an angle within a predetermined range. If no line is determined to intersect one of the end points, a first predetermined area adjacent to each end of the line is scanned for a predetermined character. When the predetermined character is found, the line is determined to be the signature line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of an imaging device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of another method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention describes an imaging device obtaining an image of a signature from a conventional signature form. The imaging device, upon recognition of a conventional predetermined character, obtains the image of the signature which is subsequently processed and/or stored.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system 5 according to the present invention. The system 5 includes an imaging device (e.g., a scanner 10) which may be utilized to obtain an image of data (e.g., a barcode, a signature, etc.). The image may then be processed by the scanner 10 or a computing device 12 (e.g., a PC, a handheld computer, a server, etc.) coupled thereto. For example, in one embodiment, the scanner 10 may obtain and process the image, and transmit a result of the processing (e.g., product ID, signature, etc.) to the computing device 12. In another embodiment, the scanner 10 simply obtains the image and transmits it to the computing device 12 for processing. In either embodiment, the scanner 10 may be mounted in a preselected position (e.g., grocery checkout aisle, warehouse scanning station, etc) or may be mobile (e.g., handheld, wearable, etc.). In any embodiment, the scanner 10 may have a wired and/or wireless connection to the computing device 12.

In FIG. 1, the scanner 10 is being utilized to obtain a first image of a first data (e.g., a barcode 15) and/or a second image of a second data (e.g., a signature 20). As understood by those of skill in the art, the barcode 15 and the signature 20 may be located on an item (e.g., a delivery form 25, a receipt, etc.). While the present invention will be described with respect to the scanner 10 obtaining images of the barcode 15 and the signature 20, those of skill in the art will understand that the scanner 10 may be dedicated to only one function and/or may be switched manually or automatically between two modes, as will be explained further below. In this manner, the barcode 15 and the signature 20 may not be co-located on the item. For example, the scanner 10 may be used to scan a list of barcodes and a corresponding list of signatures. However, in most embodiments, it will be preferable to identify a barcode with a corresponding signature. That is, for the delivery form, a courier company would likely desire both the barcode 15 and the signature 20, and associated data (e.g., delivery time, date, location, etc.) to create a delivery record, all of which, according to the present invention, would be obtained and/or generated by the scanner 10.

Along with the barcode 15 and the signature 20, the delivery form 25 includes a predetermined character 75 disposed adjacent to a first line 60. As is conventionally known, the predetermined character 75 may be a signature indicator (e.g., ‘X’) which is located adjacent to a portion of the first line 60 (e.g., a signature line). Thus, when presented with the delivery form 25, a recipient is instructed to sign on the first line 60 next to the ‘X’.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of an architecture of the scanner 10. The scanner 10 includes a processor 30 coupled to a memory 35, an input/output (“I/O”) interface 40 and an image capture arrangement (“ICA”) 45. Those of skill in the art will understand that the memory 40 may include a volatile and/or a non-volatile memory, or any combination thereof. The memory 35 may further include, for example, software/firmware utilized by the processor 30, along with the data obtained via operation of the scanner 10.

In one embodiment, the I/O interface 35 is a port (e.g., serial, USB, parallel, etc.) which receives a cable that is connected to the computing device 12. In this embodiment, the scanner 10 may be mounted in the fixed position. For example, in the grocery checkout aisle, the scanner 10 may be positioned for scanning grocery items, and thus, remote from the computing device (e.g., cash register) 12 and a point-of-sale (“POS”) terminal. However, the scanner 10 may communicate with the computing device 12 and/or the POS terminal via cables extending from the I/O interface 35. In another embodiment, the I/O interface 35 is a transceiver which provides for wireless communication between the scanner 10 and the computing device 12. In this embodiment, the I/O interface 35 may communicate with the computing device 12 using radio frequency signals. In yet another embodiment, the scanner 10 may include both the port and the transceiver, and, as such, be configured for both wired and wireless communication.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ICA 45 may be a video/photo camera which includes a lens 50. The processor 30 may control functioning of the ICA 45, such as, for example, controlling a focus of the lens 50, determining a rate at which images are obtained and decoding the image to extract the data contained therein, which will be described below. In operation, the ICA 45 obtains the image of the data which is processed by the processor 30 and transmitted to the computing device 12 via the I/O interface 40 and/or stored in the memory 35.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method 200 according to the present invention which will be described with reference to the system 5. Although, the scanner 10 may obtain the image of both the barcode 15 and the signature 20, the method 200 will be described with respect to the image of the signature 20. However, as stated above, those of skill in the art will understand that the scanner 10 may be used to obtain and process images of the barcode 15 and the signature 20 simultaneously or successively.

In step 205, the scanner 10 obtains the image of the signature 20. As stated above, the processor 30 may control the ICA 45 in order to obtain the image. In one embodiment, the scanner 10 continuously obtains images and only processes the image if the signature 20 is recognized therein. In another embodiment, the scanner 10 only obtains images at a user-determined time/interval. In this embodiment, the scanner 10 may further include an activator (e.g., pushbutton) which, when activated, causes the processor 30 to obtain the image. In either embodiment, the scanner 10 may obtain one or a series of images. Referring back to FIG. 1, the image of the signature 20 may include any data contained within an imaging field 55 of the scanner 10. The field 55 is dimensioned as a function of the ICA 45 and the lens 50. That is, an increase in a power (or convexity) of the lens 50 may result in a decrease of a focal length thereof and a proportional decrease in an area of the field 55, but with a higher resolution of the captured field. After the image is obtained, the processor 30 begins to decode the image, which is explained below.

In step 210, the processor 30 identifies the first line 60 having a predetermined length within the image. According to the present invention, the processor 30 may only identify the first line 60 if it is horizontal and straight along the predetermined length. However, the first line 60 may be vertical or angled within the image, and still identified as the first line 60, as will be described below. In one embodiment, the predetermined length may be a preselected measurement of the first line 60. For example, the first line 60 will be identified if the preselected measurement is between about 1.5 and 4 inches. In this embodiment, the scanner 10 may be provided with a measuring mechanism which obtains a measurement of the first line 60 at least up to the preselected measurement. Alternatively, an estimate of the predetermined length may be made from a known field-of-view and a working range. In another embodiment, the predetermined length may be a predetermined number of pixels. For example, the first line 60 will be identified if the predetermined number of pixels is between, for example, about 100-150 pixels. As understood by those of skill in the art, the predetermined length may be adjustable, such as, through a user selectable parameter, etc. If the first line 60 does not have the predetermined length, the scanner 10 may continue obtaining images and/or decode a further image in a sequence of images previously obtained. In an optional step (not shown), the processor 30 determines whether the first line 60 is sufficiently straight before proceeding to the next step. If the first line 60 is not sufficiently straight, it can be determined that the first line 60 is not the signature line, and the scanner 10 may obtain a further image.

In step 215, the processor 30 identifies a first endpoint 65 and a second endpoint 70 of the first line 60. In one embodiment, the processor 30 may traverse the first line 60 beginning at the first endpoint 65 and following the first line 60 to the second point 70. In another embodiment, the processor 30 may begin at a preselected point and traverse the first line 60 in a first direction (e.g., left on the image) to find the first endpoint 65. After finding the first endpoint 65, the processor 30 may return to the preselected point and travel in a second direction (e.g., right on the image) to find the second endpoint 70. As understood by those of skill in the art, the first and second endpoints 65,70 may be identified in any manner.

In step 220, the processor 30 determines if at either of the first and second endpoints 65,70, the first line 60 intersects with a second line (not shown) disposed at an angle within a predetermined range (e.g., about 1 degree to 179 degrees) relative to the first line 60. If the second line intersects with the first line 60 at either of the first and second endpoints 65,70, the processor 30 determines that the first line 60 is not the signature line (step 222).

In step 225, the second line does not intersect with either of the first and second endpoints 65,70, so the processor 30 determines if the predetermined character 75 in a first predetermined area adjacent to the first endpoint 65 and/or a second predetermined area adjacent to the second endpoint 70. The predetermined areas may be any size and/or shape surrounding each of the endpoints 65,70. Furthermore, the processor 30 may search the entire predetermined area, or the processor 30 may search the predetermined area for a predefined time. Furthermore, the processor 30 may determine if the predetermined character 75 is the signature indicator (e.g., ‘X’). For example, In this embodiment, the processor 30 may execute a method 300, shown in FIG. 4, to determine whether any character identified in the predetermined areas is the predetermined character 75.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step 305, the processor 30 identifies a first character or a portion thereof within one of the first and second predetermined areas adjacent to the first and second endpoints 65,70, respectively. For each character identified, the processor 30 may perform the method 300 to determine if the identified character is the predetermined character 75. Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, the predetermined character 75 is the X. However, those of skill in the art will understand that the predetermined character 75 may be any sign, symbol, design, etc. which would indicate to the processor 30 that the signature 20 is located adjacent thereto, as will be described below.

In step 310, the processor 30 determines whether the first character includes at least two straight lines having substantially equal lengths. In this exemplary embodiment, each straight line may be straight along an entire length thereof. Further, the lengths of the straight lines are preferably different than the predetermined length of the first line 60, thus preventing the processor 30 from mistaking one of the straight lines for the first line 60. The processor 30 may determine the lengths of the straight lines in a similar manner as described above with reference to the predetermined length of the first line 60 (e.g., utilizing the measurement mechanism). As understood by those of skill in the art, the processor 30 may be capable of identifying the straight lines having various lengths. For example, one courier company may utilize large X's while a further company utilizes smaller X's. If the first character does not include the two straight lines, the processor 30 determines that the first character is not the predetermined character 75 (step 313), and, subsequently, the first line 60 is not the signature line.

In step 315, the processor 30 determined that the first character included the straight lines of substantially equal lengths, so the processor 30 determines whether the straight lines intersect with each other at substantially midpoints thereof. In this manner, the processor 30 may obtain a measurement of each straight line, divide the measurement in half to obtain the corresponding midpoints and determine whether the straight lines intersect at the midpoints. If the straight lines do not intersect and/or do not intersect at their corresponding midpoints, then the processor 30 determines that the first characters is not the predetermined character 75 (step 313).

In step 320, optionally, the processor 30 may determine whether any of the straight lines intersect or in any manner touch the first line 60. If any of the straight lines intersect/touch the first line 60, the processor 30 determines that the first character is not the predetermined character 75 (step 313). However, if the straight lines do not intersect/touch the first line 60, the processor 30 may determine that the first character is the predetermined character 75, as shown in step 325. As stated above, the method 300 may be repeated for all characters which are identified in the predetermined areas adjacent to the first and second endpoints 65,70.

As understood by those of skill in the art, the method 300 merely illustrates one exemplary embodiment of determining whether the character is the predetermined character 75. Accordingly, the method 300 may be modified as a function of a type, size, configuration, etc. of the predetermined character 75, and an intensity with which the processor 30 scrutinizes each identified character (e.g., a number of conditions to be fulfilled) to determined whether it is the predetermined character. For example, if the X is relatively small and is included on a form with many characters, the method 300 may be more rigorous (e.g., include more conditions to be fulfilled before the character is recognized as the predetermined character 75).

Referring back to FIG. 3, in step 225, if the processor 30 does not identify the predetermined character 75 in the first and second predetermined areas, the first line 60 is determined not to be the signature line (step 223). If the processor 30 identifies the predetermined character 75, optionally, the processor 30 may determine whether the predetermined character 75 is disposed at a predetermined orientation with reference to the first line 60. In one embodiment, the predetermined orientation is a position (e.g., 12 o'clock—about 6 o'clock) which the predetermined character is disposed at relative to the first line 60, and in particular, the first or second endpoint 65,70. For example, in FIG. 1, the predetermined character 75 is disposed at about a 3 o'clock position. In this embodiment, the predetermined character 75 at the predetermined orientation is identified to ensure that the first line 60 is the signature line.

In step 230, the processor 30 determines that the first line 60 is the signature line. In step 235, the processor 30 performs a predetermined action, such as, for example, obtaining an image of a third predetermined area surrounding the first line 60, thereby capturing the signature 20. In one embodiment, the third predetermined area is defined as a product of the total length L of the first line 60 and a height H of the predetermined character thereabove, as shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the predetermined area is any portion of the signature 20 which is above the first line 60 up to the height H. In another embodiment, the predetermined area may be a product of the total length L of the first line 60 and a predefined distance between a first distance below the first line 60 and a second distance above the first line 60. The first and second distances may be generated as a function of the height H. For example, the first distance may be two times H, while the second distance is only H. In this embodiment, the predetermined area may capture more of the signature 20 than the previous embodiment.

In another embodiment, the third predetermined area may be determined as follows. The processor 30 identifies a portion of the signature 20 within a predetermined distance above or around the first line 60. The portion of the signature is traced to obtain a height thereof, which defines the height H. The portion of the signature 20 may be traced until a highest portion is identified, and/or until the scanner 10 has moved beyond the third predetermined area into a fourth predetermined area (e.g., encountered pre-printed text and/or form elements).

Once the image of the signature 20 is captured, the processor 30 may digitize the image and store it in the memory 35 and/or transmit it to the computing device 12. Optionally, the scanner 10 may provide an indication (e.g., LED, beep/alarm, etc.) to the user thereof that the signature 20 has been captured. In one embodiment, the processor 30 digitizes the entire image (e.g., the signature 20, the predetermined character 75, the first line 60). In another embodiment, the processor 30 extracts the predetermined character 75 and/or the first line 60 from the image, and only digitizes the signature 20, which may decrease a space needed for storage thereof.

Those of skill in the art will understand that many modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope thereof. For example, in another exemplary embodiment, the scanner 10 has a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the scanner 10 is imaging and decoding indicia (e.g., barcodes), while in the second mode the scanner 10 is imaging and decoding one or more signatures 20. The scanner 10 can be switched between modes via an arrangement (e.g., a switch, pushbutton, etc.) on the scanner 10 or via a command/instruction from the computing device 12 coupled thereto.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present invention, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A method for identifying a signature line, comprising: identifying a first line having at least a predetermined length; identifying end points of the first line; determining whether a second line intersects one of the end points of the first line at an angle within a predetermined range; when no line is determined to intersect one of the end points, scanning a first predetermined area adjacent to each end of the line for a predetermined character; and when the predetermined character is found, determining the line is the signature line.
 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: digitally imaging a second predetermined area surrounding the line.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second predetermined area includes a signature.
 4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: digitizing the signature.
 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining an image including the first line and a signature.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined length is one of (i) about 1.5 inches to about 4 inches and (ii) a predetermined number of pixels long.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined number of pixels is in a range of about 100 to 150 pixels long.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first line is straight along the predetermined length.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range is about 1 degree to about 179 degrees relative to the first line.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined area is a range of a 12 o'clock position to a 6 o'clock position relative to the first line
 60. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined character is “X”.
 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scanning step further comprises the substeps of: identifying at least two straight lines having substantially equal lengths; determining whether the straight lines intersect at their respective midpoints; and when the straight lines intersect at their respective midpoints, identifying the straight lines as the predetermined character.
 13. A device, comprising: a memory storing a set of instructions; an image capture arrangement for capturing an image; and a processor which identifies a first line having at least a predetermined length in the image, the processor identifies end points of the first line, the processor determines whether a second line intersects one of the end points of the first line at an angle within a predetermined range, wherein, when no line is determined to intersect one of the end points, the processor scans a first predetermined area adjacent to each end of the line for a predetermined character; and wherein, when the predetermined character is found, the processor determines the line is the signature line.
 14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the processor digitally images a second predetermined area surrounding the line.
 15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the second predetermined area includes a signature.
 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the processor digitizes the signature.
 17. The device according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined length is one of (i) about 1.5 inches to about 4 inches and (ii) between about 100 and 150 pixels.
 18. The device according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined range is about 1 degree to about 179 degrees relative to the first line.
 19. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first predetermined area is a range of a 12 o'clock position to a 6 o'clock position relative to the first line.
 20. The device according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined character is “X”.
 21. The device according to claim 13, wherein the device is a portable image scanner. 